BHOPAL: Opposition BJP staged statewide protest against the nine-month-old Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday.
The protest ‘Ghanta Nad Andolan’ saw the saffron party workers carry out protest marches across the state, while ringing bells, blowing conches and playing manjeeras (clashing cymbals) to symbolically woke up the Congress government from administrative slumber.
In the state capital, the protest was led by state party chief Rakesh Singh outside the district collectorate. Singh alleged that the Congress government had put welfare initiatives on the back-burner.
With prohibitory orders already being in place in the city, the BJP leaders led by Singh, ex-minister Vishvas Sarang and state spokesperson Rahul Kothari were arrested by police along with other party workers.
"This protest was staged for justice to the state’s people. The loans of the farmers have not been waived off in the state. There is no unemployment allowance for the youths of the state while electricity rates continue to be very high. He also warned that BJP would intensify protests for the people."
In Jabalpur, leader of opposition Gopal Bhargava led the agitation and courted arrest with several BJP workers. The police had to use water cannons to control the agitating BJP members.
Former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan led the agitation in Vidisha, Senior leader and Vice president Prabhat Jha in Sagar, former state president and MP Nandkumar Singh Chauhan in Indore.
The ruling Congress responded to the BJP’s Ghanta Nad Andolan with the Dhol Bajao drive. The ruling party leaders held press conferences in all districts to remind people about BJP’s 15 years misrule as well as tell the public about the 100 big decisions of the Kamal Nath government in the first eight months in office.